A very eventful week indeed.
Lots of great ministry done and bible studies started.
Unfortunately we came home on Thursday after a nice early start at the pool for a swim and breakfast, them a couple of hours running errand to find that not only did we not have electricity but that our electric meter had been removed. No electric is more uncomfortable than it at first sounds. It wasn't just that we couldn't work as we had planned as we had no internet but also no AC, no fans, no water (it works off a pump from the well)..not anything. It seemed that our landlord hadn't paid his bills for a while! It had already happened with the internet about a week after we moved in. Nick was merrily trading and all of a sudden no www. We tried resetting etc and finally went down to the local office where they told us he hadn't paid for 5 months. It was all sorted after a few hours and quite a big loss for Nick.
So as you can imagine this was the last straw. We had lunch, a very hot and sweaty one, and got a call from the landlords friend who speaks English saying she was sorting it out and it would be sorted by 6pm. Great but that was 5 hours off so we phoned some friends and decided to meet in an air conditioned coffee shop for the afternoon. It was very nice and relaxed and by the time we got home at 5.30pm the meter was all back in place. We told the landlord though that we were not staying there the 6 months now though, that he could use the deposit we paid for next months rent and we would leave after that. We figured that if he can't even pay a 1400 baht electric bill the chances of us getting 23,000 baht back is virtually nil!
We have a whole month to find somewhere though so we will take our time and make sure all is correct before we say yes.
Today we are watching the sad news reports from Bangkok and wondering if our assembly will be cancelled at the beginning of May. It hasn't affected us here in any way and hopefully it won't.
This week though is the Thai new year, Songkhran, so a few things are cancelled such as ministry Monday and Wednesday. For two reasons, some drink too much and drive so it is not safe to be out Tuesday and Wednesday, also they throw water as part of the festival, which is only OK if you are dressed in shorts and t shirt. Anyway it will be a good opportunity to catch up on some work and laze about by the pool.
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Friday, 2 April 2010
Memorial and Ministry
Well it has been a very busy week. Last Tuesday which was the memorial we went on the Thai ministry for the first time. We all worked with someone who could speak Thai and they helped us to learn a few phrases so we could greet the householder and leave a leaflet. It was lovely to get to know the Thai brothers and sisters and also to see how differently it is done here. It is so laid back and easy going. Everyone goes to the same little street and stands next to each other to knock on the doors. 10.30am sharp we stopped for a drinks break for 15 minutes. Then on till 12 by which time we were very hot and sweaty and definitely ready for lunch.
The memorial was lovely and we had 76 attending which isn't bad for a group of only 22ish.
Yesterday we had the best day we have had since we got here. We went with some friends, Philip and Katy to a beach they knew near where they live towards the north of Phuket, Nai Thon beach. It was an overcast day so we were able to stay in the sea for hours. It was so clear and blue and the waves were amazingly strong but fun too. The sea was so clear that we were standing in water up to our shoulders and could see our feet down below. We ate lunch at a little restaurant right on the beach and stuffed ourselves with delicious Thai fried rice, cashew chicken and noodle soup. We did get a little too much sun though, so today we are a little burnt. We also took a couple from Mexico, Amy and Levi, that are staying here for a few weeks. They are so much fun and have some great experiences to tell so together we all had a great day, finished off at Nick's new favourite restaurant where the food is awesome and cheap and the place is spotlessly clean and best of all is only round the corner from our house.
This morning was ministry again but English this time, which can be a bit frustrating because of the type of people you meet. We are looking forward to doing some with the Burmese people here next week though.
We received our tea bags too this week from mum so can start the day off properly once more!! It is about the only thing I can't do without, a decent cup of tea. Very British, I know!
The memorial was lovely and we had 76 attending which isn't bad for a group of only 22ish.
Yesterday we had the best day we have had since we got here. We went with some friends, Philip and Katy to a beach they knew near where they live towards the north of Phuket, Nai Thon beach. It was an overcast day so we were able to stay in the sea for hours. It was so clear and blue and the waves were amazingly strong but fun too. The sea was so clear that we were standing in water up to our shoulders and could see our feet down below. We ate lunch at a little restaurant right on the beach and stuffed ourselves with delicious Thai fried rice, cashew chicken and noodle soup. We did get a little too much sun though, so today we are a little burnt. We also took a couple from Mexico, Amy and Levi, that are staying here for a few weeks. They are so much fun and have some great experiences to tell so together we all had a great day, finished off at Nick's new favourite restaurant where the food is awesome and cheap and the place is spotlessly clean and best of all is only round the corner from our house.
This morning was ministry again but English this time, which can be a bit frustrating because of the type of people you meet. We are looking forward to doing some with the Burmese people here next week though.
We received our tea bags too this week from mum so can start the day off properly once more!! It is about the only thing I can't do without, a decent cup of tea. Very British, I know!
Thursday, 25 March 2010
As I sit here listening to the birds chirping outside and I feel the fan blowing intermittently on my neck, I realize how much life has changed. We live such an outdoor life now, with windows constantly open unless we have the AC on in the bedrooms. We swim in the pool every day, eat outside at night, either here at home or at a restaurant and visit beaches almost every other day. I compare this to our year in Chester where for a large percentage of the time we were shut in with the heating on, wrapped up in layers and layers of clothing. Even when we wanted to go out it seemed such an effort to drive somewhere for a walk. Going to the movies required almost a 2nd mortgage (not that we had one of those, a mortgage I mean!). There always seems to be something to do here that doesn’t require money or much of it anyway.
Another thought is that we eat much healthier here. Lots more fruit, smoothies for breakfast etc. Salads galore and no pasta, no cheese (It’s very costly here), not nearly as much bread as we used to eat, just rice dishes and the occasional pizza to satisfy our western needs.
We took the girls to see Alice in Wonderland on Monday night. Lara in particular had been dying to see it and we had already gone the previous evening and been very disappointed to find that we had missed it. Fortunately we found another cinema on the island that was still showing it and for just 120 baht we sat in air conditioned luxury in seats so comfortable that had the movie been boring we could have fallen asleep. For 500 baht you can have a reclining seal with a blanket and pillow with food and drink delivered to you while you watch!! Anyway we all loved the movie apart from Nick as it wasn’t really his ‘thing’. Mr Depp had seriously strange eyebrows and emerald green eyes but was his usual wonderfully talented self.
We went out on the ministry yesterday for the first time. Richard took us on some of his calls to ease us into it gently. It was nice to see so many out. There is a lovely French family here for a few months from Toulon who don’t speak much English so it has been great for us to practice our French. We went for lunch at a Thai restaurant with a family from the Thai congregation. The setting wasn’t so great, near a busy road but the food was awesome, probably the best we have had yet. The lady who ran the restaurant had tiny twins and Richard told us that two days after having delivered them by c section she was back working in the place. That is how hard people work here. There seems to be a much greater divide now between the rich or well off and the poor. The Thai brother we ate with works a 12 hour shift for just 600 baht (£12).
We are off to find a hidden beach this afternoon. Apparently it is one the tourists don’t know about, just the locals. We also need to go to the market for our fruit and veg.
Don’t forget to check out the photos I upload regularly. Just click on the link to the left of this page that says ‘travel photos’.
Friday, 19 March 2010
A week of Phuket life
Well we have been in our house for a week as of tonight. I can't believe how much we have packed into it actually. I'll start at the beginning. When we looked around this place a week ago we told the lady that we wanted to move in asap as we were in a guest house but that it may take us a couple of days to get the rent and deposit money. She said 'Oh just move in tomorrow, we'll worry about the money later'!! Don't you wish everything was that easy. No credit check, no asking what we did for work and needing proof, just a friendly Thai lady who was willing to let us move in without paying a penny first.
Not that everything was that simple of course! It took us a whole, very frustrating, day to sort out the internet. We found out that the club house and pool was not included in the rent and would be an extra 23,000 Baht (a lot of money!!) for a years' use. So we thought about it for a day or two and realised that you can't exist here as a farrang (foreigner) if you haven't got a pool to cool off in.
It was lovely to go to the meeting on Wednesday night though and meet everyone. We had a great welcome and quickly realised that we will be kept very busy here with only about 20 in the cong.
It has been a challenge learning how to shop and cook here again. Wine is def out here as Jacob's Creek is about £12 a bottle!! The rum and whiskey is about £4 a bottle though which could be good or bad depending on how you look at it!
The three kitchens in our house are interesting! The inside one has the fridge, cupboards and a sink and we use it just for making drinks. The next one is in a room like a laundry room that has an outside door and it is where I cook on a large version of a camping stove. It also has a sink. The third one is just a sink really outside for doing the dishes. That is a good idea as it keeps any waste food outside so cuts down on bugs. For the style of house you would imagine a much better sort of kitchen but I think the Thai's eat out a lot as it is very cheap to do that, also it is really too hot to cook. We went to a food market the other day and I have never seen such an array of perfect veg. Such great quality and so cheap. I got a huge bag of strange mushrooms for just 50p. We stayed clear of the meat though. No fridge, just out in the dusty open air, no thanks!
Today we found our perfect beach again, Layan beach. So quiet and peaceful. The water was refreshingly cool though so we just chilled for a while.
I had forgotten how great it is to wear minimal clothing. It is so much quicker to get ready to go out. Although you do see some rather disgusting sights of Europeans baring almost all!!!
It's 7.30pm and we are going out for some dinner. The girls want pizza, I want Thai, not sure about Nick. It will probably be pizza!!
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Journey to Phuket
We finally got to visit China Town, which was an amazing experience. The incredibly narrow alleyways were packed tightly with a mixture of people and stalls with mopeds and delivery motorbikes narrowly missing everyone. I think it would have been possible to buy absolutely anything you wanted and in any quantity. It takes a strong constitution though to cope with the smells of food, drains and people along with the constant throng pressing past you and towards you.
The rest of the day was spent getting some things sorted out. Changing money, getting some Thai sim cards for our phones and booking the trip down to Phuket.
Our plan was to go by 1st class sleeper train but unfortunately as it is a Thai holiday at the moment it was fully booked all week. We have already tried the 2nd class option and didn’t fancy that again so the option was to fly or go by bus. We opted for the bus as it was only £20 each compared to at least £50 to fly. The ‘VIP’ coach ride was a 12 hour journey that was a grueling endurance test which only took us to Surat Thani where we had to get a mini bus to take us the rest of the 4 hour journey. Fortunately it dropped us right outside the Talang guest house where we quickly checked in after a quick scare after being told that there was only one air conditioned room. After some persuasion we managed to change it to two, thank goodness. As after hauling our heavy bags up the steep stairs, with the temperature hovering around 35 degrees, to the 2nd and 3rd floors where our rooms were located, we were in desperate need of some cooling down. Rarely have we felt so filthy and sleep deprived.
By the time we had showered it was just 11am so we all collapsed into very basic but clean beds for a couple of hours sleep. It was so tempting to sleep on and on but we knew if we did that we wouldn’t sleep that night. So all feeling a bit grumpy we dragged ourselves out for our first decent meal in well over 24 hours.
What a treat! Curry, chicken, noodles and rice for all of us for 300 baht (about £6 / $9!) The little restaurant was obviously owned by a vintage toy enthusiast as there was a long cabinet down one wall with everything from VW Beetle corgi cars to an old Mickey Mouse toy. Our table had a glass centre with star wars toys displayed in it. The walls were covered with old advertising signs and Chinese medicine ads. With the front all open to the busy street it was a perfect place to watch the world go by and while away the hours till bedtime.
The rest of the day was spent getting some things sorted out. Changing money, getting some Thai sim cards for our phones and booking the trip down to Phuket.
Our plan was to go by 1st class sleeper train but unfortunately as it is a Thai holiday at the moment it was fully booked all week. We have already tried the 2nd class option and didn’t fancy that again so the option was to fly or go by bus. We opted for the bus as it was only £20 each compared to at least £50 to fly. The ‘VIP’ coach ride was a 12 hour journey that was a grueling endurance test which only took us to Surat Thani where we had to get a mini bus to take us the rest of the 4 hour journey. Fortunately it dropped us right outside the Talang guest house where we quickly checked in after a quick scare after being told that there was only one air conditioned room. After some persuasion we managed to change it to two, thank goodness. As after hauling our heavy bags up the steep stairs, with the temperature hovering around 35 degrees, to the 2nd and 3rd floors where our rooms were located, we were in desperate need of some cooling down. Rarely have we felt so filthy and sleep deprived.
By the time we had showered it was just 11am so we all collapsed into very basic but clean beds for a couple of hours sleep. It was so tempting to sleep on and on but we knew if we did that we wouldn’t sleep that night. So all feeling a bit grumpy we dragged ourselves out for our first decent meal in well over 24 hours.
What a treat! Curry, chicken, noodles and rice for all of us for 300 baht (about £6 / $9!) The little restaurant was obviously owned by a vintage toy enthusiast as there was a long cabinet down one wall with everything from VW Beetle corgi cars to an old Mickey Mouse toy. Our table had a glass centre with star wars toys displayed in it. The walls were covered with old advertising signs and Chinese medicine ads. With the front all open to the busy street it was a perfect place to watch the world go by and while away the hours till bedtime.
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
First few days in Bangkok
Well after a leisurely morning at mum's and counting the slow moving minutes until the taxi's arrival we were finally on our way to Manchester airport. Everything went well at the check in, no over weight bags etc.
Our first flight to Dubai was excellent. Yummy food and plenty of drinks and movies. We even managed to sleep a bit. Our arrival time there was tough, 4.30am UK time but we only had a couple of hours to wait until the next flight so by the time we checked in again and sent a few emails we were ready to board.
A nice surprise was that it was one of the new double decker airbus a380 planes. It almost defied logic to imagine that this huge object could take off never mind actually stay in the air! Plenty of room and so comfy it was almost like business class (well, maybe not quite that good!).
Our arrival in Bangkok went very smoothly too, nice friendly immigration (unlike a certain other country we have spent time in.....) and in no time at all we were in a taxi heading for the city. It may be that we happened to get stuck with the most annoying and irritating taxi driver ever. Most drivers here double up as kamikaze pilots, however this one found it hard to break 30 miles per hour and the more he talked the slower he went. Not easy to cope with when you are as tired as we were. His main rant seemed to be that he wanted to drive us around for the next few days while we were in BK. Erm, no way Jose!!
Finally we reached our hotel, which was quite a bit more expensive than last time we stayed and we needed two rooms as they wouldn't put an extra bed in for us like last time. However it was just nice to be here and get a shower.
Our meal at Hippie Hi was all we had looked forward to for so long. It was great to be back breathing in the fumes as we whizzed along in the tuk tuk and winding our way through the madness of the Khao San Rd.
Our first flight to Dubai was excellent. Yummy food and plenty of drinks and movies. We even managed to sleep a bit. Our arrival time there was tough, 4.30am UK time but we only had a couple of hours to wait until the next flight so by the time we checked in again and sent a few emails we were ready to board.
A nice surprise was that it was one of the new double decker airbus a380 planes. It almost defied logic to imagine that this huge object could take off never mind actually stay in the air! Plenty of room and so comfy it was almost like business class (well, maybe not quite that good!).
Our arrival in Bangkok went very smoothly too, nice friendly immigration (unlike a certain other country we have spent time in.....) and in no time at all we were in a taxi heading for the city. It may be that we happened to get stuck with the most annoying and irritating taxi driver ever. Most drivers here double up as kamikaze pilots, however this one found it hard to break 30 miles per hour and the more he talked the slower he went. Not easy to cope with when you are as tired as we were. His main rant seemed to be that he wanted to drive us around for the next few days while we were in BK. Erm, no way Jose!!
Finally we reached our hotel, which was quite a bit more expensive than last time we stayed and we needed two rooms as they wouldn't put an extra bed in for us like last time. However it was just nice to be here and get a shower.
Our meal at Hippie Hi was all we had looked forward to for so long. It was great to be back breathing in the fumes as we whizzed along in the tuk tuk and winding our way through the madness of the Khao San Rd.
Friday, 26 February 2010
9 days to go!!
Well things are a little mad around here! Boxes everywhere that we keep tripping on and stubbing our toes on (esp Nick!). We are counting the days now and getting organised. Our shopping trip yesterday yielded t shirts and shorts for the girls, a travel bag for Nick and all sorts of other goodies. I ordered loads of Burt's Bees stuff today, sun cream, insect repellent, hand sanitizer etc. My local health food shop loves me at the moment as I have spent a fortune in there on vitamins and supplements to keep us healthy while we are there and to build us up before we go. Much better than inoculations that aren't really necessary. I am nagging everyone multiple times a day at the moment "have you taken your vits?!".
I can't decide what I am most looking forward to. Obviously it is the trill of the trip and the challenge of something new but also having something meaningful in our lives again instead of being consumed by the materialism that is prevalent here in the UK. It is impossible not to be caught up in this rat race. I am looking forward to having time on my hands again. Time to just take a picnic to a beach for the afternoon, time to explore, time to walk, time to try new things. I am looking forward to living a more outdoor life again. I hate being cooped up inside.
I am looking forward to meeting new people, learning a new language and working hard in the ministry and congregation where there is such a great need.
I can't decide what I am most looking forward to. Obviously it is the trill of the trip and the challenge of something new but also having something meaningful in our lives again instead of being consumed by the materialism that is prevalent here in the UK. It is impossible not to be caught up in this rat race. I am looking forward to having time on my hands again. Time to just take a picnic to a beach for the afternoon, time to explore, time to walk, time to try new things. I am looking forward to living a more outdoor life again. I hate being cooped up inside.
I am looking forward to meeting new people, learning a new language and working hard in the ministry and congregation where there is such a great need.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
We're off again!!
Well the Fowlers are off again on some travels. Slightly different this time and probably the biggest move ever.
Ok start at the beginning...When we last visited Thailand we saw what a need there was for witnessing there, particularly in the English speaking field. Fast forward a couple of years and our life in the States is finished and we are back in Chester, UK and not very happy campers. Total rat race and miserable weather, not what we signed up for! So.. we started looking into the possibility of making another trip to Thailand. We wrote to the Bethel in Bangkok and got a lightning fast response telling us they would be delighted if we would join the new English speaking group in Phuket as they needed help. So that was it, the start of the biggest life change so far.
Initially we thought of going for 3 or 4 months to set things up but when we thought of the cost of doing that there seemed no point.
We have worked harder than ever in these last few months to get some money together but funnily enough everything has gone so smoothly. A wise person once said that you 'don't need to see the whole staircase just a couple of steps at a time'. In other words, don't worry about everything, just plan a bit at a time. This is what we have tried to do and as I said everything is going to plan. We sold the window cleaning business without any hassle whatsoever, which was a major part of the plan.
We now have our year long visas as of this morning! and we booked our tickets last night! We are so excited but also a little fearful. Moving to the USA and France is one thing but moving to Thailand is a whole different ball game. We are a great team though and are all working together to make it happen.
We fly from Manchester on the 7th March. It will be so fun to be back in Bangkok for a week. A much needed weeks vacation!!
I am happy to be starting up this blog again as I finally have some interesting stuff to post!!
Ok start at the beginning...When we last visited Thailand we saw what a need there was for witnessing there, particularly in the English speaking field. Fast forward a couple of years and our life in the States is finished and we are back in Chester, UK and not very happy campers. Total rat race and miserable weather, not what we signed up for! So.. we started looking into the possibility of making another trip to Thailand. We wrote to the Bethel in Bangkok and got a lightning fast response telling us they would be delighted if we would join the new English speaking group in Phuket as they needed help. So that was it, the start of the biggest life change so far.
Initially we thought of going for 3 or 4 months to set things up but when we thought of the cost of doing that there seemed no point.
We have worked harder than ever in these last few months to get some money together but funnily enough everything has gone so smoothly. A wise person once said that you 'don't need to see the whole staircase just a couple of steps at a time'. In other words, don't worry about everything, just plan a bit at a time. This is what we have tried to do and as I said everything is going to plan. We sold the window cleaning business without any hassle whatsoever, which was a major part of the plan.
We now have our year long visas as of this morning! and we booked our tickets last night! We are so excited but also a little fearful. Moving to the USA and France is one thing but moving to Thailand is a whole different ball game. We are a great team though and are all working together to make it happen.
We fly from Manchester on the 7th March. It will be so fun to be back in Bangkok for a week. A much needed weeks vacation!!
I am happy to be starting up this blog again as I finally have some interesting stuff to post!!
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Back in Chester, England
Tough as it is, we are settling down to life in jolly old England again. Back in Chester after 12 years, which is lovely as we have been catching up with friends after being out of the country for a while. Enjoying the takeouts and pubs and moaning about the weather.
Trying to find work here there and everywhere, wheeling and dealing to make a buck or two! :)
Still trying to sell on etsy, but half of my stock is back in Florida, so I will have to wait until we have saved enought to ship everything back......soon hopefully.
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